Stringed musical instrument.



H. A. WILKIN$.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

\ APPLIGATION FILED SEPT.21, 1908.

Patented June 13, 1911.

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ROY A. WILKINS, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1911.

Application filed September 21, 1908. Serial No. 453,960.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RoY A. WILKINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon,have invented new and useful Improvements in Stringed MusicalInstruments, of which the following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to stringed instruments, particularly those ofthe zither type, and has for its object to improve the same by providingmeans by which the tone or pitch of each string may be varied adetermined degree, that degree being one-half a tone. The pitch-changingmeans are so constructed and arranged that each string may sound itsnatural tone, or the sharp or the flat thereof, accordingly as the partsare adjusted. This permits a performer to readily play any piece ofmusic regardless of the key in which it may be written.

The invention also permits the introduction of accidentals in theperformance of any piece of music where they are required.

I have represented my invention as being applied to an instrument that,in its main features, is similar to the one patented by me May 17, 1904,Patent No. 760,288, although it is not limited in its usefulapplications to that particular instrument.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the instrument. Fig. 2is a central longitudinal sectional view of the tail end of theinstrument. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views on a larger scale.

The frame of the instrument comprises a bottom sounding board, 2, a tailend piece, 3, the head end piece or tuning pin support, 4, side framepieces, 5, and an intermediate brace or cross piece, 6, the latterserving also as the tail piece for the upper set of strings.

The instrument illustrated is provided with two sets of strings, a set,11, arranged in groups to sound chords, and employed in playing theaccompaniment of the piece of music being performed, and another set,12, on which the air is played, the strings of the latter set beingpreferably arranged to give the tones of the diatonic scale. Ad-

jacent to the strings, 11, and between the frame pieces, 3 and 6, islocated an upper sounding board 9, while between the frame piece 6 andthe head piece 4 is arranged the top sounding board 10, lying below thestrings 12.

13, 13 indicate the hitch pins for the strings and 14, 14, the tuningpins. The strings pass over bridges, 17, located in the usual mannernear the ends of the respective strings. A hand rest, 24, is provided,this being preferably supported by the tail piece, 3.

Adjacent to the tail end of the upper set of strings, 12, and extendingacross the in strument above the upper sounding board, is a fret-boardorstrip 20. It has a rabbet engagement with the sounding board, 10,which lies between it and the cross frame piece. These three parts aresecured together preferably by screws, and are further held in closecontact by the tension of the strings, l2.

21 indicates adjustable fret-pins, each so mounted that when turned toone position it will engage with and fret one of the strings, and whenturned to another will entirely disengage the string. Each pin consistsof a stem, 22, adapted to be seated in a hole, 25, formed in the fretstrip and of a depth suflicient to extend through the sounding board anda short distance into the cross piece, 6; and a fiat head, 23. The sideedges of this head are substantially parallel with the longitudinal axisof the stem, about which the fret pin turns, and are adapted to bebrought into engagement with the string adjacent to which the pin isset; this arrangement insuring a good engagement with the string whenthe head of the pin is turned into fretting position even should the pinfrom any cause be longitudinally moved in its seat from its proper ornormal position. The head, 23, on either side of the stem, 22, is formedwith shoulders, 26, that are adapted to rest closely upon the fretstrip, 20, when the pin is in place. This, in connection with theseating of the stem in the hole, 25, insures an intimate connection ofthe pin with the sounding board and frame of the instrument which is soimportant in a fretting device in order to insure a full and clear tonewhen the string is fretted. The pin is so mounted and its head is ofsuch shape that when turned, as indicated in Fig. 3, it is entirely freefrom the string with which it is associated, while when turned to theposition indicated in Fig. 4, one of its edges, 27, engages the stringwhich is thereby fretted. There are preferably two sets of fret-pins andthe instrument is tuned so that the strings will give the tones of thediatonic scale when fretted by the first set of pins, that is, the

set nearest the bridge. When this is done the turning of any pin intothe position indicated in Fig. 3 will lower the tone of the string asemitone, that is, will flat the natural tone of that string; while ifthe second fret pin. of that string be turned into engaging position thetone will be raised a semitone.

The pins, 21, are so located as to be easily reached and manipulated andthe heads 20 are so shaped that engagement with the string is quick andpositive. This makes it possible for the performer to instantlymanipulate any pin as where the introduction of an accidental isrequired, and by reason of the ready engagement of the pin with thestring, as described, the momentary humming or buzzing of the stringagainst the edge of the fret, which occurs in some fretting devices nowin vogue, is avoided.

As stated, when two sets of frets are employed it is usual to tune theinstrument with all the frets of the first set in engagement with theirrespective strings. Then by the manipulation of one or more of the fretsthe instrument can be adjusted to play in any key, as will be readilyunderstood by musicians. In Fig. l the frets are represented in fulllines as being set for the key of F, while the changed positions for thekey of G are indicated in dotted lines.

The strings, 11, of the second set are provided with fretting devicessimilar to those described.

A single set only of frets embodying my present invention may be used,in which case the strings will be tuned with the frets turned out ofengagement, the whole length of string from bridge to bridge vibratingto give the natural tone. Then the frets will be employed to shorten thestrings and sharp the tones given thereby, as may be required.

hat I claim is:

1. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination with the strings,of fretting means for the individual strings each comprising a stemseated in the frame work of the instrument, and a head arranged to begrasped by the performer for adjustment and having a side edgesubstantially parallel with the axis about which the pin turns thatengages with the string when the pin is turned.

2. In a stringed musical instrument, the combination with thefral'nework including the sounding board, and the strings, of fret tingdevices for the individual strings each comprising a stem seated in asocket in the frame of the instrun'ient, a flat head arranged adjacentto a string, the head being adapted to be grasped by the performer foradjustment of the device, and having shoulders resting closely upon theframework, and a side edge adapted to engage with the string when thedevice is turned into a particular position.

3. A stringed musical instrument having a case with a cross frame pieceand a sounding board supported thereon, strings arranged to cross thesounding board, and fretting devices for the strings in two sets, thedevices for each string being arranged, one to raise the tone given bythe open string a semitone, and the other a full tone, each devicecomprising a stem seated in the said cross piece, and a flat headadapted to be grasped by the performer to turn the device and havingside edges arranged to engage the string when the head is turnedcrosswise relative thereto.

ROY A. XVILKINS.

lVit-nesses J. S. BARKER, Gno. B. PITTS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

